LETTER: Cambridge has fallen behind with plastic bag ban

Tuesday

Feb 3, 2015 at 5:00 PMFeb 3, 2015 at 5:03 PM

To the editor:

On Dec. 15, the City Council had the opportunity to do something it should have done long ago: approve the plastic bag ban that has been discussed and debated for several years. Yet, despite the majority of the councilors saying they support the ordinance, it was only councilors Marc McGovern, Dennis Carlone and Nadeem Mazen willing to vote in support at that time. Instead, the council delayed the decision until February, at which time there will be an Ordinance Committee hearing to discuss possible changes.

This particular ordinance was filed by then city Councilor and current state Rep. Marjorie Decker and was passed to a second reading unanimously by the previous City Council. The second vote was never held and the ordinance moved to the current City Council when they took office in January 2014. At an April 2014 Ordinance Committee meeting, McGovern called for a vote to move the ordinance back to the full council with a favorable recommendation. Given that the five former members had already voted in favor last term, this seemingly put the ordinance on track to be approved in a timely manner. However, after hearing comments from various councilors, it became clear that the five votes needed to pass the ordinance were in question, resulting in the ordinance sitting on the agenda for months.

Plastic bags are so light that even when properly disposed of, they often blow away and become litter. They cause visual blight and can end up tangled in trees. They clog storm drains, leading to flooding. Bags easily escape from garbage trucks, landfills, boats, and the hands of everyday consumers — and are then carried into our waterways, and eventually into the ocean. Plastic bags make up the third most prevalent type of litter from land-based sources found on U.S. coasts. These bags cause not only countless numbers of animal deaths, but as they degrade they have the potential to seriously and permanently damage the marine environment by displacing food supplies.

Decker’s proposal was carefully researched and finalized by the city’s administration, the end result being a well-written ordinance. This would have placed Cambridge at the forefront nationwide. But it’s now a full year later, and this bill remains on hold.

For those still unsure why we need to move quickly, they only need to remember that Cambridge alone uses 100,000 plastic bags every day, meaning that between Dec. 15, 2014, when the council could have voted the ordinance, until Feb. 11, 2015, when the next Ordinance Committee meeting is held, 5.8 million plastic bags will be used in Cambridge.

Cambridge, previously a leader on environmental issues, has fallen behind other communities when it comes to addressing the dangers of plastic bags. It is time for Cambridge to once again take the lead and pass an effective ordinance that will provide the types of environmental protections our wildlife, our children and our planet deserve.